Truce
by Stories R Life
Summary: He offered her a deal, something precious to her in exchange for something precious to him. A one shot on a different way that Skyward Sword could have ended. Implied ZeLink and GhiraLink but nothing trashy.
1. The Truce

Link felt the relief flood through him as the dust and noise settled about Faron Woods. He'd done it, he'd stopped that abomination from ever being able to return and now Zelda was safe. For a brief second he allowed himself a small fantasy of how his life would unfold.

Zelda would awaken from her millennium long sleep and run into his waiting arms. There would be a joyous reunion as he returned with her to their own time, Groose might even be speechless. After things quieted down and before they returned to Skyloft the pair would take a moment to reflect on all that had happened in the intervening year. It would be then that Zelda finally admitted to having loved him for years now, and he would tell her he'd loved her since the day they met. They would smile brightly at each other before he softly kissed her sweet cherry pink lips. When they broke apart he would whisper that she'd always been his Goddess.

Together they would return to Skyloft, far happier than they could ever imagine as the entire town celebrated a new era. Together they would work to move the people of the sky back to the surface below to repopulate the land of Hylia. After months of dating and working together Link would propose to her on a small island decorated in numerous flowers lit only by the moon and Starry Fireflies. They would be wed in the traditional manner of Skyloft, but live in a small cottage on the Surface. Their home and lives would forever be filled with love, happiness, and children.

Smiling to himself Link didn't need Fi's urging to jump from the Goddess Statue and run to awaken his dearest friend. At first everything happened just as Link had dreamed it would. The crystal ensconcing his friend shattered, oddly reminding him of the amber relics he'd found along the way. Zelda took her first few steps before falling forward into Link's awaiting arms.

He held her fiercely, overjoyed to have this chance again. She smelled so radiant and beautiful, just as she always had. He laughed slightly as her bright blonde hair tickled his nose. He didn't want to let her go, but knew they had to break apart as both Grannie and Groose were waiting anxiously. Hand in hand they walked through the door that had hidden her for ages untold smiling happily as Groose greeted them enthusiastically. For a moment the air was filled with happy laughter and curious questions, but that all ended in a second.

What Link could swear was a bolt of lightning made of diamonds shot between Zelda and him causing immense pain to shoot throughout his entire body. His eyes were watering and it was all he could do to remain on all fours. A chilling laugh echoed throughout the hallowed temple, a laugh that Link recognized all too well. It was the laugh of a maniacal demon that had haunted him in both reality and his dreams.

Ghirahim looked far more deranged than he had the last time Link had seen him as he stepped out from behind the pillar. Smiling sadistically the Demon Lord snapped his fingers causing barriers to appear. One encircled Link and from his position on the floor he could see another entrapped Zelda with the sadistic demon. With a strained effort Link attempted to stand and breakdown the barrier only to fall back to his knees with a cry as the pain took hold of him again.

"Well Hylia," Ghirahim started after a smirk in Link's direction, "I must applaud you on your choice of hero this time around. He's a bit of a soft boy, but far more durable and doggedly determined than your last. Like a perfectly trained little pet he's been ceaselessly nipping at my heels for months now. Surprising enough he has even managed to destroy my Master in the present era. I must say you've trained him quite well this time around. Yet for all your efforts he still managed to fail seeing as all I must do is cart you off through the gate here and revive my master in the past. Such a shame really, he worked so hard too." Ghirahim's voice was almost cooing as Link's hands tightened around his shield and sword.

Zelda stood firm in front of the demon with her chin raised and head held high, it seemed the lasting effects of Ghirahim's spell that kept Link down weren't affecting her. "You haven't defeated him yet Demon Lord. My Chosen Hero can still defeat you and prevent such an apocalypse. Even if you should take me through and attempt to sacrifice my soul, my Hero will stop you before you can complete your task and finally finish you."

The pain was wearing off and Link was slowly able to get to his feet with the help of his sword, but now his brow was furrowed in confusion. Why did Zelda keep referring to him as her hero, and why didn't she contradict the demon when he called Link her trained pet? Ghirahim laughed again breaking the hero from his thoughts as their conversation continued.

"That could very well be your grace. He has shown a certain amount of skill when it comes to combat and a great amount of foolish tenacity, though his intelligence is lacking. I'm sure I could find a way to sufficiently distract him while I let my spell do its work on you." There was a long pregnant pause as the two stared each other down, and Link did his best to destroy the barrier holding him. Neither Zelda ior Ghirahim paid him the slightest attention as he repeatedly swung his sword at the diamond wall in front of him. It aggravated him, and he wondered why Groose and Grannie weren't helping until he noticed both of them standing behind a barrier of their own, watching the proceedings.

Ghirahim was the first to break the silence that had stretched on between them. "Of course none of that need happen. In fact all our fighting can come to an end here and now if…" another smirk was directed at Link as Ghirahim paused for dramatic effect before turning back to the Goddess Reborn. "If you would agree to my terms then we can separate from here the best of friends and enemies."

Zelda's expression was calculating when she slowly asked the obvious question. "Just what sort of terms did you have in mind Demon Lord?"

"Well now I think a truce between our people would be mutually beneficial for starters, and to seal the deal we would both have to give up something we hold quite dear. I would of course, give up my dreams of reviving my Master and allow the gate to be destroyed. Thus he would be abolished for all time without a way to return, and I would no longer be forced to serve him. For your part Hylia all I would ask is that you give me…your Chosen Hero." Ghirahim's tongue flicked out licking across his lips as he finished his proposal.

"You…you want my hero," Zelda barely stuttered out as a dumbfounded expression crossed her face.

"Only this incarnation Hylia. You would keep any future reincarnations as you needed them. But think about it," Ghirahim purred as he paced closer to her. "All your people, all your land safe from attack by demons and no longer under the threat of Demise's tyranny. Those weak humans you sent to the sky could come back down again to spread across the land once more. All of that in exchange for one measly boy who has already fulfilled his purpose to you. No more fights, no more wars, and no more pretending you actually care for this boy."

Link watched in horror as Zelda bit her lip, a sure sign she was considering the demon's words. The young hero couldn't fathom that. Zelda, his Zelda who'd been his best friend for as long as he could remember, was considering trading him out to this demon. In desperation he pounded on the walls of his prison while shouting at her. If only he could get free then he could finish of the Demon Lord and show her he wasn't weak.

It didn't seem that she could hear him like he could hear them though, and looking over towards Groose only confirmed his suspicion. He could see Groose shouting but no words reached Link's long pointed ears. It would seem that Ghirahim had made it so their voices couldn't travel beyond their prisons expect in the case of his own and Zelda's.

"What…what would you do to Link if I agreed," Zelda hesitantly asked as her eyes met Ghirahim's purposely avoiding looking at Link.

The grin on the demon's face was one of a person who already knows they've won the argument. "That my dear Hylia is for me to know and him to find out. I won't kill him however, if that is any consolation."

Zelda bit her lip again while Link waited the verdict. Her next words would either grant him freedom or imprisonment, he imagined this is what it felt like for an innocent man to face the gallows. Sweat poured down his face as Zelda opened her mouth to speak, her words causing his heart to stop beating in his chest.

"The Master Sword, his shield, all his weapons, and gifts would have to stay here for the next hero. And…and I'd also have to take back the Triforce from him."

"All perfectly reasonable requests you excellency," and with a snap of his fingers Ghirahim removed Link's sword and shield from his hands, along with the pouches from his waist, and everything else he had besides his clothes. Another snap and Link was frozen in place while his hand raised of its own accord and the barrier disappeared.

"There you go Hylia. You may now take the Triforce from him and I myself will destroy the gate." The diamond wall around Zelda and Ghirahim dispersed allowing the demon to happily skip towards the gate Link had worked so hard to awaken.

Still unable to move Link watched as Zelda slow walked towards him, refusing to meet his eyes. Taking his outstretched hand in hers she muttered a few words that Link didn't understand. Burning pain shot through him from his hand while a golden light blinded the paralyzed hero. An explosion rent the air as the light began to dim and the otherworldly pain subsided. If his knees weren't locked Link was sure he would have collapsed as a feeling of weakness enveloped him.

In the next second as Zelda stepped away he did just that, Ghirahim had apparently removed the spell and now all Link could do was lie lifelessly upon the hard ground. The young man felt himself being lifted up then thrown over the shoulder of the demon as the voice he'd grown to loathe a hundred times more in the past half hour spoke again.

"It has been a pleasure doing business with you Hylia. I do so hope we can do this again." Weakly Link managed to shift his head so he could see Zelda standing next to Groose, she didn't even have the decency to look sorry. Weakly he called to her in hopes she would change her mind, "Ze-Zelda." He wasn't even sure that she heard him and he never found out because in the next instant they were gone. With a snap of his fingers Ghirahim had teleported them both away from the temple towards where Link didn't know.


	2. Dipped in Bronze

The weakness still hadn't faded when they reappeared in a gray stone room. The walls reminded him of Skyview temple minus the various fungi growing along the walls. The smell was different too. Where Skyview had smelled as decayed and wet as it looked, this room smelled of an odd mixture of things Link couldn't hope to identify.

He wanted to fight the demon holding him, but it seemed that the moment Zelda had taken the Triforce from him she had also taken all his strength. All he could do when Ghirahim dropped him on the cold floor was lie there like a boneless bag of flesh.

"Now I need you to wait quietly like a good boy while I prepare a little concoction. It's not particularly complicated but the timing must be exact. Since your strength could return to you at any moment and I wouldn't dare to dream that you would behave yourself and wait patiently, I do believe it would be best to restrain you first and foremost."

Even if he'd been able to respond there wouldn't have been time as Link felt his body lifted up by Ghirahim's magic before being held against one of the cold walls. He felt more than saw as his gauntlets, boots, tunic, and chainmail disappeared from his body leaving him in only his undershirt and pants. "There now we won't have any extra space for you to use to worm your way free with," Ghirahim muttered more to himself than to Link. The next thing Link felt were unforgiving metal restraints appear across his wrists, stomach, chest, ankles, and forehead. Others also appeared just above his elbows and knees leaving his arms in an 'L' position with his hands even with the top of his head while his feet were just barely touching the ground. It was an incredibly uncomfortable position and it didn't take long before his body began to ache from both the cold wall and awkward position.

Ghirahim didn't seem to be bothered by Link's discomfort in the slightest, and was in fact already turned away from him while he explained exactly what he had in store for the hero. "The suspense of my plans for you is torture I'm sure, and while I'm loathe to end that torture I do believe knowing what is in stake for you would be a far greater torment to your psyche." The demon turned to smirk at the captured, licking his lips and flipping his hair as he usually did when he was enjoying the moment.

"You see dear boy, with Demise gone and no longer able to take the title of Demon King. Among the demons the King of Demons is always the strongest demon, and at any time during their reign the ruler may be challenged in a duel to the death. The winner will either become or remain the ruler of our realm. I would've challenged Demise centuries ago if I'd been able, but alas due to the nature of my being the tyrant was able to force me into his service so I had little choice in the matter. Even after Hylia sealed him his power remained enough to force me to do his bidding. However, after you destroyed him in the present era his hold on me was severed. Should I have gone back through the gate it would've been reestablished. But with the destruction of the last gate there is no way for him to be reborn, thus in a way you set me free. This of course does not abolish the absolute nuisance you made of yourself, however it did mean I owed you a debt. Which is why I got you away from that horrid Goddess of yours. I can promise you boy you'll be far better off being my servant than hers. Which is precisely what you are going to be for me. I cannot trust another demon to serve me, and in truth it will be far more entertaining having the Hero of Hylia jump to serve my every need."

The way he said the last two words made Link's skin crawl. It took a bit of effort but he managed to get out a few words. "Sick bastard…I'll-I'll kill you." It had taken everything he had and he felt completely drained, but at least it meant he was gaining some strength.

The white-haired demon merely chuckled at his hostage. "I'm afraid boy your chances of destroying me ended the moment you lost your sword. You alone are nowhere near powerful enough to take me on. Besides I would imagine after I finish with this potion you'll be feeling quite indebted to me. You see while I do intend to have you as my personal servant for the rest of your days I'm also aware that you humans age. And if my memory serves me correctly age is not particularly kind to your species. Since I refuse to surround myself by any form of ugliness for a longer time then I have to I choose to remedy your eventual aging. This potion I'm creating will keep you looking as you are now for the rest of your days. You will still age internally of course, with your bodily functions aging as well, but your outer body will forever remain as youthful as you are now. Isn't that just fabulous!"

Link wasn't sure what part of that was supposed to be 'fabulous'. With each passing year he'd grow older and older, but continue to look like a seventeen year old kid. Trapped here with Ghirahim the years were sure to pass by without his notice and no way to tell in his face. Eventually his body would ache and fail him until his inevitable death where he would be buried looking forever as he did now. He knew plenty of people who wished for their youth to last forever, but he was pretty sure they didn't mean like this.

It seemed to take the Demon Lord ages to complete the potion. The time was filled with Ghirahim's taunts towards Link and his boasts about his own greatness. Link sorely wished he had the Master Sword just to shut him up, but even if he did it wasn't like he could move. The only indication he had of the time passing was the shifting light across the floor from the window that was out of his range of vision. It wasn't until the shadows had grown long and the room was dim that Ghirahim declared he was finished.

"There all the potion needs is time. I shall see you in the morning boy, sleep well." With that the Demon Lord left leaving Link bound to the wall and shivering thanks to the cold stone seeping through his thin shirt. The fire that was still lit beneath the cauldron was so small any heat it would've provided was lost before it ever reached the poor hero.

The hours passed slowly with Link only getting a few fitful hours of sleep. Anytime he managed to doze off he a violent shiver would course through his body or the aches and pains from his battle to get the Triforce would throb. He wished he'd given himself time to recuperate before make his wish but his only thought had been to finally end his nightmare. Little did he realize, the nightmare had only begun at that point. By the time the first rays of light began dancing along the floor Link was exhausted, stiff, and in immense pain. It didn't help matters when his tormentor returned with a promise that was sure to make his situation that much worse.

"Ah what a wonderful morning it is. Don't you agree dear boy? I do hope you slept well because I can promise this next step will be incredibly unpleasant for you." Link had no idea how things could get worse, but if there was one thing he knew about the Demon Lord it was that he wasn't a liar.

He wasn't given the chance to dwell on the ominous words for long though, because within second of his appearance the pale demon made the bonds holding Link to the wall vanish. Even if he'd been prepared for his sudden release there would've been no way for Link's aching and battered body to hold him up. It was only as he hit the cold floor that the hero realized it wasn't only his bonds that had been removed. He now laid in a naked heap on the floor, and though he tried to move his body to defend or cover himself he found his limbs were too slow to respond.

As if reading his mind the cruel demon spoke above him while gripping his hair tightly and pulling him toward the large cauldron. "Now there's no need to be concerned with modesty. I simply removed your clothes because if I'd left them on they would've become permanently affixed to your body, and of course we wouldn't want that now would we?"

The ominous chuckle did nothing to help quell his nerves. If anything it only made the trepidation he felt increase tenfold as the demon dragged him over to the still simmering cauldron. Surely Ghirahim couldn't mean to do what it appeared he was doing. The fire may have been low but the contents would still be hot enough to cook him alive if the demon were to throw him into the liquid. With the little bit of strength left to him Link began to struggle even as he felt himself being lifted into the air.

"Quit fighting me boy. Regrettably this process is relatively pain free, if not a bit uncomfortable. The worst part is being forced to go without air for twenty-four hours."

Link felt his heart stop and his stomach drop. Even if by some miracle the molten liquid didn't burn him alive he'd drown long before Ghirahim would free him from the potion. Link did his best to increase his struggles, managing to gasp out a single word in his panicked state. "Air!"

The barely audible word seemed to work though as the demon did pause in his efforts to lift the blonde into the cauldron. "Oh dear that's right you humans aren't able to go without air but for a few minutes. Even that abhorrent Water Dragon's scale wouldn't allow you to stay submerged for so long. Hmm, what could I do that would allow you to breathe for so long without worry of it looking atrocious on you?"

Link felt the tug on his hair release a second before he saw Ghirahim move towards one of the many tables in the room. Oddly his body remained aloft, likely by some spell the demon had used. While the demon was distracted Link attempted to move down to the floor or 'swim' in the air towards the door. All he managed to do though was flip himself around repeatedly until he was as dizzier then he was after a spiral charge. All the while he could hear Ghirahim muttering in the background, not paying him the least bit of attention.

"Hm, I suppose this will have to do though I'm not fond of the idea at least you'll always be able to breath underwater which could serve me quite well." Link glared at the demon as he hung upside down in midair. He tried to resist as Ghirahim reached a hand towards him, but as with earlier he couldn't in fact move away from where he hung in the air. Within seconds he felt something clamp along his right nostril constricting it slightly.

"There we are," Ghirahim said cheerfully, "now into the pot with you."

Link had no further warning as the magic holding him up was removed and he fell unceremoniously into the pot of liquid. Panic gripped him immediately as he worked to right himself and get out of the pot before it could harm him. He wasn't fast enough though because the second he move to shoot out of the only opening a heavy dark lid came down on him, blocking his escape and leaving him without even an inch of air above him.

The lid must have been magically sealed on because no amount of pushing budge it from above him. It was as the realization sunk in that he was truly trapped within the pot that he realized it wasn't as hot as he expected it to be. In fact the liquid surrounding him was quite cool. The cool sensation was slightly numbing yet it also caused every inch of his skin to tingle slightly. He didn't know what to make of it, but in truth there was little he could do considering he was crouched uncomfortably in the belly of an inescapable cauldron filled to the brim with a potion that was in essence supposed to preserve him like someone might do to a special trinket they didn't want to lose. With fear beginning to take root in his heart Link sat and waited for whatever was to come next.

* * *

Hey everyone, what do ya know I found a way to continue this one-shot. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going to take this yet, but I can promise it won't be the same thing as waiting. Now as a heads up I do promise I'll keep working on this but my life currently leaves very little writing time. I'll do my best to get the chapters done but there won't be any set schedule to it. Thank you everyone for the encouragement on this and your patience. I'll see talk to you with the next chapter!


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